Friday, May 25, 2012

Manitoba Leads the Way in "Human Rights" Nuttiness

Manitoba is expanding its human rights code to cover gender identity, homelessness and the poor.

Justice Minister Andrew Swan introduced a bill Wednesday that would prevent people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and "social disadvantage" — a broad category that includes low-income earners, the homeless and people with little education.

"If somebody is looking for an apartment and they can show they can pay the rent, but because they've been unemployed for a period of time, the landlord simply decides on that basis alone they're not going to rent to them, that could be something the [human rights] commission could consider," Swan said.

The same protection would apply to a homeless person who is turned away by a taxi driver, as long as the person shows they can pay their fare...

How thoughtful/comprehensive of Manitoba to enshrine the rights of a category of humanity that does not--and will likely never--exist: homeless people who take cabs.

Let's say for the sake of argument that the person in the back of this cab is homeless. What about the right of the taxi driver to not have his vehicle (which, after all, is his livelihood) filled with the lingering odors/aromas of indigence?